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CURRENT COLLECTOR FDR ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS.

No. 593,154. Patented Nov. 2,1897.-

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CURRENT COLLECTOR POE ELEGTRIO RAILWAYS.

No. 593,154. Patent-ed Nov. 2, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @rriee,

FREDERICK A. ANDERSON, OF l/VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CURRENT-COLLECTOR FOR ELECTRIC RAlLWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,154, dated November 2, 1897. Application filed October 12,1897. Serial No. 654,984. (No model.)

invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Collectors for Electric Railways; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to current-collectors for electric railways.

The object is to provide a current-collector in which all the exposed conducting parts shall be thoroughly insulated whereby to obviate danger of shortcircuiting the current, as from accumulation of snow, slush, or ice on any projecting part; furthermore, to provide a novel form of fuse connection the nature of which will be such as to permit of the ready replacing of a new fuse for one that is blown out without inconvenience to passengers of the car or danger to the workmen; f urthermore,to provide ashoe carried directly by the hanger or plow-standard, thereby to dispense with the employment of togglejoints, pivoted links, and the like, such as are usually employed for this purpose, said shoe being so mounted as to accommodate itself to any and all irregularities in the conductingrail and also tooccupy a position at all times in use normal to that of the said rail, irrespective of any inclination of the standard or support; furthermore, to simplify the construction of the collector by reducing the number of its parts, thereby saving in material and minimizing the liability of derangementof two face'plates which are secured in place the conductor through this insulating-ma" terial. The shoes are each constructed of the usual contact-plate and insulating-block and are supported by means of brackets integral with or secured to the lower portionof the collector, the brackets being provided with slots to permit of the shoes having the necessary range of lateral movement, and also to operate as stops, suitable bolts being provided for the purpose of holding the shoes in operative position with relation to the brackets. To efiect the proper contact between the shoes and the conducting-rails, springs are interposed between the insulating-blocks and the lower portion of the collector, the tension of these springs being sufficient at all times to hold the shoes in contact with the said rails and to compensate for any irregularity in the same. By the arrangement described I dispense entirely with the employment of pivoted hangers, toggle-joints, or other supports projecting outward from the collector and supported thereby, and also provide for the proper lateral and vertical oscillatory movement necessary to allow the shoe to accommodate itself to any and all irregularities in the conducting-rail, and also to occupy a position at all times in use normal to that of the said rail, irrespective of any inclination of the standard or support. The shoes may be electrically connected with the conducting bars in any suitable manner, preferably, in this instance, by means of ordinary wires,the same being held at their ends by means of bolts, screws, or binding-nuts, carried,respectively, by the shoes and by the conductingbars.

In order to support the lower ends of the conducting-bars andto afford efficient means for establishing electrical connection between the shoes and the bars and also to remove strain from the screws holding the upper ends ing through the two parts, the said bolts serv ing' in this instance as a means for connecting the conductors from the shoes to the cop-- per bars. The upper ends of the copper con ducting-bars are housed in fuse blocks orboxes, thereby effectually insulating this por-,

tion of the conducting-bars from the framebars, and housed within another portion of each of these fuse-blocks is one of the terminals, the terminal and conducting-bar being connected by an ordinary fuse. As before stated, it is desirable that the fuses should be means of ordinary binding or thumbrnuts' arranged in such position upon the collector as to be readily accessible for the purpose of repair in case they should blowout, and to this end theyare located quite close to the top of the collector, and in order to obviate the danger of a shock to a person in repairing a break there are insulating sheets or blocks covering the f use blocks or boxes, and against the outer faces of these insulating-sheets the two ends of each of the fuses aresecured by having, preferably,insulated bases. Thus to replace a fuse for one that is blown out it will only be necessary to lift the ordinary trap-door provided in the floor of the car, loosen two thumb-nuts, replace a new fuse for one that is destroyed, and again tighten the thu mb-nuts. By this arrangement in case a fuse blows out the outer insulating-body covering the fuse block or box will receive the shock, and, if destroyed, may be replaced at but a small cost. It is to be understood that the arrangement of the shoes, conductingbars, and fuses is the same 011 both sides of the collector, and for this reason a description of one will serve for both.

Arranged upon each side of the collector at the point where it works between the slotrails I provide a wear-plate, preferably of case-hardened steel, and arranged also upon each side of the collector is a lubricating device which will supply oil to the said plates at the point of wear. By this arrangement the life of the wear-plates may be extended indefinitely, and rusting, as from moisture, will also be avoided.

Further and more specific details of construction will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, I have illustrated a form of embodiment of my invention, although it is to be understood that other forms of embodiment thereof may be employed without departing from the spirit of the same, and in these drawlugs Figure l is a View in elevation, partly in section, showing the collector in positionbetween two slot-rails, with the shoes in en gagementwiththe conducting-rails. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, showing the relative arrangement of the parts constituting the collector. Fig. 3 is an edge View showing in detail certain parts omitted in Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 4: 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar View taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 isa similar View taken on the line 6 6,

Fig. 2. Fig. 7 'is a similar view taken on the line 7 7, Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail 'view in section showing more particularly onemanner of mounting the shoe upon the collector to allow the shoe to have the necessary lateral and oscillatory movements to acgommodate itself to any irregularity in the conducting-railsand the manner of supporting the lower end of the copper conducting bar. Fig. 9 is a detached detail view showing the knife-edge switch at the top of the standard. 7

In explaining this'invention but one-half of the collector will be described, as it will be understood that both sides are exactly the same.

Referring to the drawings, A and A des-.

of providing sufficient rigidity and strength to the collector, are constructed of iron or tool-steel, and A the. copper conductors for conveying the current from the shoe to one terminal and from the latter through the car back to the other terminal, and so on to the other shoe.

The collector herein shown consists of four frame-bars and two copper conducting-bars. These bars are held assembled at the top of the collector by means of face-plates A, which may be of any suitable material, such as iron or steel, .and at the bottom portion of the collector by means of metallic cross or connecting plates A also of iron or steel, suitable bolts being passed through the plates and the frame-bars only for holding the parts assembled. By the arrangement described there is a considerable space left between the respective frame-bars,which arrangement lightens the plow or collector.

I At a point intermediate of the two ends of the collector and on each side thereof there is secured a wear-plate A, which is arranged at that point of the plow which will contact with IIO above the middle of the plow; but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to this exact arrangement, as the plates may be made longer and wider if preferred or if found con-,

ported on each side of the lower portion of the collector and secured to these insulatingplates are two brackets A and A respectively, the same being provided with flanges through which bolts A are passed for securing the brackets in position, these bolts being also insulated in the manner described. These brackets are each provided with a slotted boss or extension A, which is best shown in Fig. 8, and between these extensions are mounted insulating-blocks A provided with the usual conductingshoes A, the blocks being held in place by means of. bolts A mounted in the slots of the brackets. These slots are of such length as to' permit of the shoes having the requisite lateral and vertical oscillatory movement to compensate for any inequality in the conducting-rails and also permits of the shoes having movement about shifting axes lying in planes at right angles to each other, so that the contact-face of a shoe will always occupy a position normal to that of the conducting-rail, irrespective of any inclination assumed by the. standard or support, as in rounding curves, the outer ends of the slotsserving effectually as stops to limit the lateral movement of the shoes. In order to keep the shoes in operative contact with the conducting-rails, springs A are provided, the base or body portions of which are bolted against the insulation at the base of the collector, and their free ends are bowed or bent, so as to bear against the insulating-blocks. The insulating-blocks and shoes are held assembled by means of bolts A". The shoe is provided on one side with a boss A to which is connected one end of a conducting-wire A, the other end of which is connected with a bolt A passing through a metallic block A and through a toe A formed by turning outward the lower end of the conducting-bar A an opening being provided in the insulating-plate A for this purpose, as will be clearly seen by reference to Fig. 8. The purpose of this block A is to support the lower end of the conducting-bar and also to remove strain from the bolt or screw at the upper end, to which the fuse is which to fit a fuse block or box A the same being held in position by means of bolts or screws passing through ears A provided for the purpose. This fuse block or box is provided with two openings, in one of which is housed the upper end of the conducting-bar A and in the other the lower end of a terminal, and over the terminal and the end of the copperconducting-bar is placed a plate of insulating material A, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, thus completely shielding these parts from exposure and danger of contact. Arranged exteriorly of the plate A is the fuse A which may be of any preferred type and is operatively connected with the conducting-bar and the terminal by means of screws or bolts carrying thumb-nuts A which when seated serve to bind the fuse against the insulating-plate A It will be seen that when the fuse is secured in place it will occupy a position exterior of the collector, so as to be readily accessible for the purpose of repair, to accomplish which it will only be necessary to remove the two thumb-nuts, replace a new fuse, and seat the thumb-nuts in place, as already described.

To prevent undue wear of the plates A and also to guard against rust, I provide on each side of the plow a lubricator A provided with an extension or tube A terminating at a point near where the wear-plates contact with the slot-rails. This lubricator may be of the sight-feed style, so as to prevent undue waste of the lubricant.

In order further to guard against any pos sibility of an operator receiving a shock while replacing a blown-out fuse, I may interposc between the fuse-block and the shoe at any convenient point an ordinary switch, as a knife-switch A as shown in Fig. 9, which, by being thrown back, will cut off the current to the fuse and thereby render the binding-posts of the same dead.

To prevent an accumulation of ice, snow, or slush from short-circuiting the current between the toes A of the conducting-bars and any part of the plow-standard, I provide insulating extensions or ledges A immediately over these toes, as will-be clearly seen by reference particularly to Figs. 1, 3, and 8, thereby eifectually obviating any danger of establishing a short circuit at these points.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact manner of connection between the shoe and the conducting-barthat is to say, the precise arrangement herein shownas it will be obvious that other forms of connection may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention; also, that I do not limit myself .tothe exact manner of mounting or supporting the shoe, the point of the invention in this respect being to mount the shoe" in any suitable manner (one manner for the purpose being that shown) by which it will have Vertical and longitudinal oscillatory and lateral movement.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a current-collector, a standard comprising a plurality of frame-bars, conducting-bars arranged between the frame-bars and insulated therefrom, terminals arranged at the top of the standard, fuse-blocks arranged in the upper portion of the standard and having recesses in which the upper ends of the conducting-bars and the lower ends of the terminals are housed, whereby to insulate these parts from each other, fuses arranged exteriorly of the sides of the fuseblocks and on opposite sides of the standard, and means to permit the ready removal and replacement of the fuses, substantially as described.

2. In a current-collector, a standard comprising a plurality of frame-bars, conduct ing-bars arranged between the frame-bars and insulated therefrom, terminals arranged at the top of the standard, fuse-blocks arranged in the upper portion of the standard and having recesses in which the upper ends of the conduetingbars and the lower ends of late these parts from each other, fuses arranged exteriorly of the fuse-blocks and on diagonally opposite sides of the standard, and means to permit the ready removal and replacement of the fuses, substantially as described.

3. In a current-collector, a standard comprising a plurality of frame-bars, conducting-bars arranged between the frame-bars and insulated therefrom, wear-plates secured intermediate of the ends'of the frame-bars and insulated therefrom, and operating to protect the frame-bars, and, also, to prevent short-circuiting between the conducting-bars and the slot-rails, insulating-plates secured below the wear-plates, brackets rigidly secured against the insulating-plates, contactshoes supported from the brackets, and electrical connections between the shoes and the conducting-bar's, substantially as described.

A. In a current-collector, a standard comprising a plurality of frame-bars, conductingbars arranged between and insulated from the frame-bars, fuse-blocks in which one end housed, and a switch on each of the fuseblocks between the terminal and the conducting-bar, substantially as described.

5. In a current-collector, a standard comprising a plurality of frame-bars, conductingbars arranged between and insulated from the frame-bars, fuse-blocks in which one end of the terminals and the conducting-bars are housed, anda knife-edge switch on each of the fuse-blocks between the terminal and the conducting-bar, substantially as described.

6. In a current-collector, a standard comprising a plurality of frame-bars, conductingbars arranged between and insulated from the frame-bars, fuse-blocks in which one end .of the terminals and the conducting-bars are housed, a surface of insulating material on each fuse-block, a fuse held in place against each surface of insulating material, and a switch on each fuse-block between the terminals and the conductingbar, substantially as described.

7. A current-collector having a knife-edge switch between each terminal and its corresponding shoe, the handle of the switch being disposed downward, substantially as described.

8. A current-collector having wear-plates,

and lubricating devices for supplying a lubricant to the plates at the points where they contact with the slot-rails, substantially as described.

9. A current-collector comprising a stand- .ard and a shoe carried thereby, the shoe being mounted for movement about shifting .axes lying in planes at right angles to each other, whereby the-contact-face of the shoe will always occupy a position normal to that of the conductor, irrespective of any inclination of the shoe-standard, substantially as described. the terminals are housed, whereby to insu- 10. A current-collector comprising a standard and a spring-pressed shoe carried thereby,

the shoe being mounted for movement about shifting axes lying in planes at right angles to each other, whereby the contact-face of the shoe will always occupy a position normal to that of the conductor, irrespective of any inclination of the shoe-standard, substantially as described.

, 11. In an electric railway employing a fiat conductor, a shoe mounted for movement about shifting axes lying in planes at right angles to each other, whereby the contact-face of the shoe will always occupy a position normal to that of the conductor, irrespective of any inclination of the shoe-standard, substantially as described.

12. In an electric railway employing a flat conductor, a spring-pressed shoe mounted for movement about shifting axes lying in planes at right angles to each other, whereby the contact-face of the shoe will always occupy a position normal to that of the conductor, ir-

respective of any inclination of the shoestandard, substantially as described. of the terminals and the conducting-bars are 13. In a current-collector, a standard comprising a plurality of frame-bars, conductingbars arranged between and insulated from the frame-bars, insulating material covering both sides of the lower portion of the standard, brackets rigidly secured against the in- .sulating material, shoes supported from the ard carrying two sets of brackets provided with slots, bolts passing through the slots and through insulating-blocks mounted between the brackets, shoes carried by the blocks, and

springs interposed between the standard and the insulating-blocks, substantially as described.

15. In a current-collector, a standard having pairs of brackets secured on each side of its lower portion, each pair being provided with slots disposed in vertical alinement, insulating-blocks working between the brackets, bolts passing through the slots and through the insulating-blocks, shoes carried by the blocks, and springs interposed between the blocks and the standard, substantially as described.

16. A current-collector having the lower portion of its sides covered by sheets of insulating material, brackets secured against this insulating material, said brackets being provided with slots disposed in vertical alinement, insulating-blocks working between the brackets, bolts passing through the slots and through the insulating-blocks, and shoes carried by the blocks, substantially as described.

17 I11 a current-collector, a standard comprising a plurality of frame-bars, conducting-bars arranged between the frame-bars and insulated therefrom, each conductingbar having its lower portion provided with an outturned toe, face-plates secured on each side of the standard, and holding the framebars and conducting-bars assembled, wearplates secured to the said bars, an insulat ing-plate secured on each side of the lower portion of the standard, and provided, each, with an opening, through which extends the toe of a conducting-bar, conducting-blocks secured to the plow below these toes, insulating material arranged above the toes, whereby to prevent short-circuiting between the toes and the standard, transversely-slotted brackets secured on each side of the lower portion of the plow against the insulating-plates, blocks mounted between the brackets and held in place by bolts passing through the slots in the brackets, shoes carried by the blocks, and electrical connections between the shoes and the conducting-bars, substantially as described.

18. A current-collector comprising a standard composed of a plurality of frame-bars, conducting-bars arranged between the framebars and insulated therefrom, each conducting-bar having its lower portion provided with an outturned toe, face-plates secured on each side of the standard and holding the frame-bars and conducting-bars assembled, wear-plates secured to the said bars, an insulating-plate secured on each side of the lower portion of the standard and provided, each, with an opening through which extends the toe of a conducting-bar, conducting-blocks securedto the standard below these toes, insulating material arranged above the toes, whereby to prevent short-circuiting between the toes and the plow, transverselyslotted brackets secured on each side of the lower portion of the standard against the insulating-plates, blocks mounted between the brackets and held in place by bolts passing through the slots in the brackets, shoes carried by the blocks, electrical connections between the shoes and the conducting-bars, fuse-blocks carried by the upper portion of the standard, fuses held in place against the blocks and connecting the terminals and the conducting-bars electrically, and a switch between each terminal and its corresponding shoe, substantially as described.

19. In a current-collector, a standard carrying shoes, fuse-blocks arranged in the upper portion of the standard and provided with recesses, terminals having their lower ends housed in the fuse-blocks, conductingbars having their upper ends housed in the fuse-blocks and their lower ends in electrical connection with the shoes and a switch on each of the fuse-blocks between the terminal and the conducting-bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK A. ANDERSON. 

